Mother of 3 Gets Kicked Out & Moves to Late Granny's House, Checks Mailbox & Realizes She's Rich – Story of the Day

When her husband had suddenly deprived her and their little children of a home, Christine had only one place she could go. But there, something astonishing from the past was awaiting her.

It may not have been the ideal circumstances, but it was the perfect day to drive to the countryside. It was in the middle of summer, and the road to the small town named Wimberley swerved lazily through fields of yellow, pink, and green.

Christine didn't remember that place very well. She just remembered that it hadn't changed.

"Alex, Joy, Fiona, wake up! That's the house."

The old abandoned house was in the middle of a small circular patch of unruly grass and wildflowers.

"This is only for a few days, kids," Christine tried to comfort herself more than the children.

But the kids had already run to the house. The eldest, 7-year-old Alex, was busy dirtying his sleeve as he wiped the layer of dust on the window and tried to look inside.

5-year-old Joy and 3-year-old Fiona were trying to pick tiny wildflowers from the bushes.

Christine looked at them with apologetic eyes. "Maybe I could have adjusted some more with Harold. Maybe my kids would still be living in their clean and comfortable house. Instead of here in the middle of nowhere."

But in her heart, Christine knew she had done the right thing. Nine years of marriage may seem long, but it was too short to go through every significant marital problem known to man.

No matter how much you love your partner, you must be financially independent.

When she married Harold, he was already a successful businessman. He had big dreams, and Christine fell in love with his passion and outspokenness. Little did she know that Harold would put the business and people's jobs at stake a year into their marriage.

She felt shocked and cheated when she learned of Harold's gambling addiction. Christine stepped up when he was on the verge of losing every last asset of his business to his addiction. She was no businesswoman, but she came from a wealthy family. So she offered her entire inheritance to save the company.

Maxwell Media would have shut down years ago if it wasn't for her.

Shortly after Joy was born, Christine learned that her husband had taken on a new vice - drinking. She remembered how the loud parties and drink conversations would startle baby Joy awake.

Christine had confronted Harold several times about his addictions, but he shrugged her away as 'hormonal' or 'demanding.'

Christine thought that things would change with the birth of their third child. Harold seemed happier for a while, and the parties were less frequent, too. However, she soon found out the real reason for this change: Harold was having an affair.

That was the last straw. After everything that Harold had put her and the kids through, Christine stayed with him because she loved him.

When she confronted Harold about the affair, he didn't even flinch while confessing to it.

"Why am I still in this marriage if I am unloved? After I gave you three children…"

"Good question," Harold snapped back, raising his voice. "Why should you be in this marriage? Why should you be in this home if you are unloved? You know what? Pack your things and leave!"

"How can you say that?"

"Oh, I mean it. You are asking me to change, but the truth is you cannot live without my wealth. I know you have no money or property left. So leave. And take your three 'beautiful children' with you. Let me see how you survive."

When Harold kicked her and the innocent children out with such abandon, Christine felt almost powerless for a few moments. She took what little was hers and, with nowhere else to go, drove straight to the only place she could afford to stay.

It was this old house, the last part of the inheritance her grandmother left her.

Christine walked through the rooms of the old forgotten home, riddled with rusty fixtures and cobwebs.

"This is just like a haunted house," she heard Alex say from the garden.

Christine wondered if the kitchen window still opened. It did! And somehow, with the cracking open of the window, the entire house changed. A burst of light and warmth entered the place as if it brought a sweet air of nostalgia.

Everywhere Christine looked, she was reminded of a distinct memory with her beloved grandmother.

Looking out the window, she saw the old mailbox. She and her grandmother often walked to the mailbox, using it as an excuse to greet passers-by and neighbors every morning.

Christine followed her impulse to walk up to the mailbox again. Out of old habit, she inserted her hand inside the slot. She did not know that that impulse would lead her to find her most significant inheritance yet.

It was an old iron key, and a distinct red mark reminded Christine precisely what the key was for.

Christine walked into the bedroom and pulled the bed away from the wall. There it was, the hidden safe that no one knew about!

"It would be fun to find any of grandma's old love letters or recipes here," she thought.

It was a bit of a struggle, but the safe door finally opened. And Christine was not prepared for what she saw.

The safe was overflowing with jewelry - blocks and ornaments of gold, silver, and precious stones. Christine gasped as she carefully pulled out one piece after the other as if the safe were a bottomless treasure chest.

One piece caught Christine's attention. It was the giant pendant her grandmother always wore. In fact, that was the only jewelry Christine had ever seen her grandmother wearing. Who knew she had an entire treasure chest full of it?

Christine opened the pendant, expecting a picture of her grandparents in there. Instead, she found a photo of herself on one side of the pendant. On the other side, she found an inscription that read: 'For my sweet Christine. This, too, shall pass.'

Christine felt like her grandmother had appeared before her and spoken those words to her. They were the kindest, wisest words she had heard in a while.

She took a few deep breaths and looked for her kids. Alex, Joy, and Fiona were still playing in the garden. In the clear stream of sunlight bouncing off their faces, their future began to look bright and happy after all.

What can we learn from this story?

• No matter how much you love your partner, you must be financially independent. Christine gave away most of her inheritance to her husband. If it wasn't for the last piece of the estate she held on to, she and the kids would have been in real trouble.
• Don't mistake people's kindness for weakness. Harold thought that Christine had no way of surviving without him. He used this as an excuse to not change or quit his vices. But in reality, Christine did manage to fend for herself and the children. She had only stayed in the marriage out of love and kindness.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who takes her dying dog to the forest for his final days and finds a hidden treasure.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.